Too MUCH tension... What do you think?

[Mawnsterr]

Hello fellow 6, 7, 8, and 9 stringers (were not a 10 yet are we?)

Lately, I seem to be having a difficult time to bring my speed up. I practice everyday, use a metronome, practice songs and do different exercises, I stretch, etc. I try to do everything possible to up my speed. I'm even constantly switching picks (currently trying Gravity Picks and they seem to be helping!) and making some modifications to them (drill holes in them, sand them, ie anything to increase grip and stability).

However, my speed is still nowhere near where I would like it be!

I often hear speed guitarist gods say: "play with less tension in your arm, focus on your wrist only, etc." and sayings along those lines. And I have been realizing that maybe I use my arm maybe a little too much (not a lot, but I do think I could bring it down a notch or two). I especially feel like I build a lot of tension in my forearm and shoulder after extended play time (30-45 mins +) and I think I may have found the source of the problem: string tension.

I play in C# standard (every string is half step down from standard D, and yes I know its quite an unusual tuning ahahah), I have a 25.5" scale length and my strings thickest string is a 60 and my highest string is a 12 (D'Addario Strings EXL148). These strings are optimized for a C tuning setup, but I thought tighter strings would help me to go faster by diminishing the "floppy" effect of looser strings.

Now I know this is all personal opinion and taste, but what do you guys think; is that too much tension? Could it be holding me back from riffing faster?

Thanks to everyone for your contribution!!

 

[BIG ND SWEATY]

anything we say isnt really going to matter as it all comes down to your personal preference, do the strings feel too tight? if so get a lighter gauge, if not keep them the same and just try to practice at higher speeds by slowly increasing the bpm.

 

[Mawnsterr]

anything we say isnt really going to matter as it all comes down to your personal preference, do the strings feel too tight? if so get a lighter gauge, if not keep them the same and just try to practice at higher speeds by slowly increasing the bpm.

Well I feel as if when I increase my speed, my forearm naturally comes into play, as if I needed more power and velocity to "punch through" the string. Does that make any sense?

I'm also trying new picks because I'm trying to find a pick where only very, very little of the tip is exposed so that the pick does not drag onto the strings. I'm currently using a "big mini" 2mm Sunrise pick from Gravity Picks, just ordered the same one, but in the "mini/jazz" format, as well a 2mm Edge "mini'.

What's so very confusing about this is its difficult to isolate one factor in my deficiency; I feel like it's many things slowing me down so I'm trying many different combinations of different aspects to hopefully improve.

Anyways, thanks for your input!!

 

[Shask]

Yeah, everyone is way different on this. I personally prefer very light strings. I feel like I can play better, and it doesn't hurt my wrist. I start having a lot of wrist and thumb soreness with tight strings.


In C#, I would probably use the 10-52 set.

 

[Mawnsterr]

Yeah, everyone is way different on this. I personally prefer very light strings. I feel like I can play better, and it doesn't hurt my wrist. I start having a lot of wrist and thumb soreness with tight strings.


In C#, I would probably use the 10-52 set.

Dammmmn, that seems soooo loose ahahah! But I ain't judging you know, like you said, everyone is different.

Do you feel like you can play at pretty high speeds? (think any death metal out there, eg. Carcass, Suffocation, etc ). Even though it might not be your cup of tea when it comes to genres, do you feel like you could possibly play at those speeds with such a setup??

 

[Shask]

Dammmmn, that seems soooo loose ahahah! But I ain't judging you know, like you said, everyone is different.

Do you feel like you can play at pretty high speeds? (think any death metal out there, eg. Carcass, Suffocation, etc ). Even though it might not be your cup of tea when it comes to genres, do you feel like you could possibly play at those speeds with such a setup??

Yeah, I grew up playing Slayer, Anthrax, Metallica (old), Fear Factory, etc... I mostly play fast I dont have any problems playing something like Raining Blood, Disposable Heroes, Heartwork, etc....

My picking hand pretty much sits right on the the edge of the bridge almost all the time. I barely move my forearm at all. I pick with my wrist, and I barely move my hand. Very little distance traveled. I wish I had some awesome advice to how I learned this way, but I dont, Haha! I never knew it was a "thing" until the internet showed me that apparently many people strive for this. I just learned that way I guess.

I used those standard green Tortex picks for like 15 years. Nothing fancy. I just switched to Jazz III's about 2 years ago and got even faster and more precise.

I started using very light strings back in 1998 or so. Around the time Dino from Fear Factory was talking about light strings. Even Hetfield uses 10-46 on a 24.75" guitar, which would feel like 9-42 on your guitar!

I actually started using larger strings a few years ago. I went all heavy strings and hardtail bridge, and flat neck... you know, all ss.org approved. It has been OK, but always felt off. I started having wrist issues and decided to try to go back to what I used years ago. Floyds and light strings. Seems like I am back home! I am flying all over the neck again instead of chunking on open power chords. I grew up on too much Pantera! I need my "bendy" style and Floyd squealies!

Right now my main guitar is 25.5" tuned down a step to D, and I am using 10-46. It is a little loose, but better too loose than too tight! Bigger strings do have a nice snap to them, but then I feel like my fretting hand cant play them. My picking hand can adjust to a little flop easier than my picking hand can adjust to the impossibility of bending. Big strings have fatter tone also, which makes them not sound as clear. You get clearer, brighter tone from smaller strings. Also, when you get used to lighter strings, you find you fret lighter, and you pick lighter. Since you need less force to pick and fret, you can actually move faster because it takes less effort.

I have another guitar with 13-56 tuned in B. My 7 strings are 10-59 I think, but I am going to try 9-52 next since I am in the process of going back down to lighter strings.

It may seem weird to hear about light strings because heavy strings are kind of the "in" thing, but normal to light strings were used for years for different styles of metal.

 

[Renkenstein]

You should have enough tension for rapid fire riffing. I had trouble with C standard on a 25.5" scale and 12-56 strings. That gauge is pretty much the only readily available set around here, and I never wanted to make the switch to a 60 on the chugga string. My solution was to build a longer scale guitar. 26"-26.5" is a really good range for a 52 tuned to C. It really tightened up the right hand for me.

Not really recommending hunting down a longer scale guitar, because it seems you've got the tension thing handled. What I'd recommend is looking at your current habits:

How much motion does your hand have when you're picking fast? Is this motion efficient?

I find that picking is rarely straight forward, especially when it comes to metal. Using a strictly wrist motion can lead to fatigue, and I find that adding little flicks of the thumb, or changing to a circular picking motion in the fingers can be faster than going willy-nilly with your wrist.

If your whole forearm is in motion, you're probably exerting too much energy. Efficiency of motion is everything.

When I hit a wall like this, I break down the wall, break down my playing, and rebuild it all.

 

[Deegatron]

Small suggestion. buy a CHEEP guitar and set it up with even heavier gauge strings, then set the action MUCH higher than you normally would. Practice with this guitar for a while. when you switch back to your old guitar it should feel effortless. it's basically weight training for your hand.

Just don't do it too much or your right hand will look like the arm wrestler dude from the skittles commercial. HA HA

 

[stevexc]

My understanding is that you have to find a balance. If the strings are too loose, they'll move further with the pick before it can pass through them, requiring more motion per note. If they're too tense, you'll need to put in more force to actually get the pick to pass through them. You'll need to find a balancing point where they resist the pick but not too much. That said, 12-60 isn't ridiculously high tension, I play with only slightly less.

That being said, I have serious doubts that it's your strings holding you back. It's much more likely to be what specifically you're practicing. If death metal like Carcass and Suffocation is your benchmark for "fast" you're not exactly hitting the upper limits of fast playing. If I were you I'd watch the "Cracking the Code" videos with Troy Grady on YouTube and really inspect your technique.

 

[RustInPeace]

Nothing to do with your strings. Buy a metronome and practice till youre sick of it, then practice some more.

 

[gujukal]

Try D'addario 11-56 strings. It's also easier to play with high tension if your string action is really low.

 

[Rosal76]

What's so very confusing about this is its difficult to isolate one factor in my deficiency; I feel like it's many things slowing me down so I'm trying many different combinations of different aspects to hopefully improve.

Question:

What are some specific bands/songs that you are playing?

 

[WhoThenNow7]

I notice tension in my forearm when I'm really pushing my speed limits as well. But it is minimal, because I concentrate on keeping it all in my wrist, and eventually the speed builds by doing so. If you find yourself having to keep putting too much tension on the rest of your arm, then you may need to lower your speed until you can go higher using mostly your wrist. I'm not saying that's the only right way to pick, but I've seen a number of awesome guitar players say to use the wrist, and after I switched to that technique, within moments I felt that I had a lot more control, and now my speed has caught up and actually surpassed my old way of picking due to having a lot better control. It also doesn't strain your arm, because it really isn't good to constantly put tension on your arm like that, especially in extended play time.

As far as string tension.. It really is personal opinion but if you want mine, that 60 for C# is just too much. If it were me, I would probably use either a 54 or 56. But you'll learn with trial and error. If you think that tension might be too high, just go ahead and put a lighter gauge and see how you like it.

 

[Konfyouzd]

Here's an idea... Pick a method and stick to it. Stop switching picks/gear/etc hoping to up your speed. Speed is going to come by learning to control your instrument no matter what picks or strings you use.

Also... Speed is developed by playing slowly as strange as that may sound. But learning to anticipate a response from the instrument and knowing what to do to get a certain response from it denotes control--in some capacity--over the instrument. This is what you should seek to enhance. The speed will follow.

 

[Kashmir]

I wrote a paper a few months ago for a Kinesiology class regarding guitar and technique. Here's an excerpt which may be of use to you:

"Motion of the Wrist

In conventional guitar playing the advised motion of the wrist when picking is a side-to side motion. The wrist however is a saddle joint and thus its primary motions are back and forth, and ellipsoidal. Therefore moving the wrist in a side-to-side motion is not only inefficient but creates unnecessary work for the brachioradialis. A more efficient method of motion is to use the entire forearm in gentle oscillation of the radius and ulna. This method eliminates the strain on the brachioradialis and uses larger muscle groups which enable faster, consistent, more controlled, prolonged movement."

The jist of this is don't originate your tremolo picking from your elbow, that will create way too much tension and slow you down as it is more mass to move. You want to pick from your wrist. Not just side to side and but a little bit of a rocking motion as if you were twisting your wrist. That is the most efficient way to play and speed is all about efficiency. The brachioradialis is the band-like muscle in your inner forearm that connects to your elbow. If this muscle is getting tight while you play you are holding too much tension in your body and slowing yourself down.

Regarding string tension I don't think it really matters that much. There are many players who use light or heavy strings with similar results. I personally use 12-62 in E standard and have no problems shredding and I do not have pain in my body after playing for two hours. The more import thing is a good setup. Having very low action will help enormously.

If you're not satisfied with your current picks I recommend Winspear picks. After trying just about everything (Dunlop, V-pick, Gravity, wood, stone) I finally found Winspear and my search is over. They're excellent for tremolo picking, stay in your hand, have very little pick click, and are by far the most durable picks I've ever used. And I play with the 12-62's so I burn picks quickly. As a bonus you're supporting a fellow member of SSO when you buy them.

Hope all this information helps.

 

[Kashmir]

One more thing; as the others have said, start slow. You can only start playing fast once you build up the proper technique. If you try and take it too fast you will not only hurt your development as a guitarist in the long run but you'll put yourself at risk for developing Cubital Tunnel Syndrome.

 

[wakjob]

It also has a lot to do with how your guitar is set up.

Higher action can equate to higher tension and visa/versa.

I'm with Shask on this one... D-standard/Drop C-sharp 10-52 or 11-50 depending on the guitar.

I can't stand fighting with either the guitars playability or the mud that comes from fat string gauges. I like my guitars to play as easily as possible and have a nice crisp snap to the sound.

I recently revisited B-standard with 13-56 and couldn't stand it.

I was going to add an Overkill reference... but I digress.

 

[gujukal]

I know a guy who use 13-56 for E-standard with super high action. Gives him perfect intonation apparently and helps him to develope the left hand.

 

[Yianni54]

Alternate picking is much faster on smaller guage strings. I noticed a big jump in speed going from 11-50 to 10-46.

 

[gfactor]

There's no magic bullet, thicker strings won't make your wrist move faster it will only change the feel. Building speed just takes time and dedication.